Dates Kheer - also known as Khajur Payesh. Milk - 1 litre Dates - 100 gms ( deseeded) Sugar - ½ cup ( or to taste) Cornflour - 1 tbsp Cardamom powder - 1 tsp Nut meg powder - ½ tsp ( jathikkai or jaiphal powder) Ghee - 1 tbsp Chopped nuts ( of choice ) - ¼ cup Reserve 10 dates for garnishing & chop the rest. Soak the chopped dates in 1 cup hot milk ( from the 1 litre) for I hr. Grind, not very fine, but coarse since it is nice to bite tiny pieces in the kheer. Boil the rest of the milk, after reserving ½ cup cold for mixing the cornflour. When the milk starts boiling, add the cornflour – milk mixture. Stir, preventing lump formation & cook the cornflour. Instead of boiling the milk for a long time & reducing it to get a thick consistency, I find this method easier & faster without any compromise on the taste. Decrease the flame & add ground dates. Simmer for a few mts & add sugar. Mix well to dissolve the sugar, add spices & switch off. Cool & chill. Roast nuts & chopped ( reserved) dates in the ghee & sprinkle when serving. This tastes very rich & can be served chilled.
Puri Payasam - my invention, by accident ! Puri Payasam: Wheat flour - 1 cup Ghee - 2 tbsp Water to knead the above Milk - 1 litre Sugar - 1 cup ( more to taste) Vanilla flavoured custard powder - 1 tbsp Cardamom powder - 1 tsp Nutmeg powder - 1 tsp Saffron - ¼ tsp (warm & powder) Edible camphor (Pachai karpooram0 - 2,3 granules ( powder) Knead wheat flour, adding ghee & water to a dough. Keep 4-5 cups water to boil in a broad vessel. Make chappathis, as thin as possible, with the dough. Cut into small squares & add to the vigorously boiling water. Repeat the process till the entire dough is used up. Halfway through, if the water is not sufficient, boil some water separately & add. Meanwhile boil milk, reserving 1 cup, in another stove. Add the custard powder to the cold milk, mix well & add to the boiling milk, stirring continuously, to avoid lumps. To the cooked puris add sugar & simmer well to dissolve. Mix the milk to the above, mix well, add spices & remove. Garnish with nuts. Chill & serve.
Caramel Phirni - Try this for a different flavour ! Milk - 1 litre Unsweetened khoya - 200 gms Rice flour - 4 tbsp Sugar - 1 cup ( or more to taste) Cardamom powder - 1 tsp ( optional) To garnish: Chopped nuts - ½ cup ( caramelised) Heat milk, add ¾ of the sugar & khoya. Simmer till khoya dissolves. In another small heavy pan, cook remainig sugar over medium heat till it caramelises to a rich brown colour. Add to milk & cook on a low fire till well dissolved. Mix rice flour to a paste with 2 tbsp water. Remove milk from heat, add the paste gradually, stir well & return to heat. Cook, stirring, till thick. Do this by keeping a old tava on the stove & keeping the vessel over it, so that the mixture being thick, the bottom will not get burnt. Remove & cool slightly. Add cardamom powder, if you are using it.. Pour into glass, earthenware or ceramic bowl to set. Garnish with caramelised chopped nuts . Note: If you prefer the caramel flavour to be prominent, do not add cardamom powder. To caramelise nuts: Keep a plate well greased & ready. Heat ½ cup sugar in a heavy saucepan. Do not stir, just allow it to turn honey coloured & at once add the chopped nuts. Mix & empty them on the greased plate. On cooling, crush them coarsely.
Khus khus Payasam - more popular in Karnataka than Tamil Nadu. There are many methods for preparing this. I am giving a method where milk is used. Khus khus - 2 tbsp Coconut - ½ cup Sugar - ¾ cup ( or to taste) Milk - 2 cups Cardamom powder - 1 tsp Saffron - ¼ tsp (warm &powder) Lightly roast khus khus. ( this step is optional). Soak for 1 hour & grind fine with coconut. Mix some water & cook it to a paste on a kadai till raw taste goes. In another stove mix 1 cup water with sugar & heat to dissolve. Add that to the khus khus coconut mixture. Mix & cook for a few mts. Add cardamom powder, saffron & remove. Add boiled milk & stir thoroughly. Variations: You can add some cashews when grinding to get a rich taste. You can soak 2 tsp rice with khus khus & grind to get a thick payasam. You can add jaggery instead of sugar. Instead of grinding coconut, extract milk & use that instead of milk.
Coffee Custard - very easy, very elegant & ofcourse, very tasty ! This is a simple recipe & you can serve topped with nuts.. Milk - ½ litre Custard powder - 3 level tbsp Sugar - 4 tbsp Instant coffee powder - 3 tsp Condensed milk or fresh cream - 2 tbsp ( optional – gives a rich taste) Butter - 25 gms or 2 tbsp Mix custard powder & coffee powder thoroughly with ½ cup milk & keep ready. Put to boil the remaining milk. When it starts boiling, add the mixture. Cook, stirring continuously, till it is smooth. Simmer, add sugar & butter. Remove, mixing in cream thoroughly. Cool & set in the refrigerator. You can also make this, substituting 4 tsp cocoa instead of instant coffee powder.
Bread Payesh - easier than the easiest dessert. Milk - ½ litre Bread slices - 2 ( edges trimmed) Cashewnuts - 7,8 Sugar - ½ cup Cardamom powder - ¼ tsp Nutmeg powder - ¼ tsp Powder cashewnuts with bread slices in a mixi. Boil milk & add this powder, stirring well till it thickens. Add sugar, spices & remove. Chill & decorate with dry fruits or nuts.
Mock Badamkheer - Say " mock" softly & " badamkheer" loudly ! Yellow ripe pumpkin is best suited. It is shown in the photo posted below. Peel & chop the vegetable into small cubes. Cubed vegetable - 1 cup Cashews - 8 – 10 Milk - ½ litre Sugar - ½ cup Cardamom powder - ½ tsp Nutmeg powder - ½ tsp ( optional) Chopped nuts or saffron threads - to garnish Steam the vegetable till soft. Grind that with cashews, adding minimum water. Put the milk to boil. When it starts boiling, decrease the flame , add the paste & cook on a low flame. Do not allow vigorous boilng. When the mixture thickens, add sugar & simmer to dissolve. Add spices & remove. Chill & serve.
Chocolate Mousse - this is eggless, please ! Milk - ½ litre + 1/2 litre Sugar - 4 tbsp Cocoa powder - 4 tsp Instant China grass - 100 gms ( chocolate or vanilla flavour ) Corn flour - 3 tbsp Cream - ½ cup Vanilla essence Walnuts - to decorate Mix China grass with 1/2 litre milk, mixing well. Put it boil & immediately remove. Cool it, stirring continuously. Now get the cornflour - cocoa mixture ready with the other 1/2 litre milk. Mix ½ cup cold milk with cornflour & cocoa powder & keep ready. Put the rest of the milk to boil. When the milk is about to boil , add cornflour - cocoa mixture. Simmer & cook to boil on a low flame, adding sugar. Remove, add essence & cool thoroughly. Mix this with China grass mixture, blending thoroughly. When completely cold, beat in the cream, top with nuts & chill in the refrigerator. Decorate with walnuts.
Khubani ka Meeta - the Hyderabadi special ! Dried apricots ( called khubani) - 250 gms Sugar - 3 tbsp Lime juice - 1 tsp Vanilla essence - 1 tsp ( optional) Cream - ½ cup for decoration Custard: Milk - 1/2 litre Cream - ½ cup Sugar - 3-4 tbsp Vanilla flavoured custard powder - 1 tbsp Wash & soak apricots in water enough to immerse them, overnight. They become soft & swollen. Simmer in the same water till they are tender & about to break. Mash them with the back of a spoon, lifting stones out. Crack to remove nuts & skin nuts by dropping them in boiling water for a mte. Add sugar to well mashed apricots, cook till thick, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Remove & cool well. Mix in essence, lemon juice & nuts reserving a few for decorartion. Pour cooled apricot in a bowl & set this aside. Heat milk & sugar for custard, reserving little cold milk to make custard. Make a smooth paste of the custard powder using the cold milk. Pour this into the hot milk & cook, stirring constantly till custard is formed. Cool slightly & stir in cream to make it extra rich. When completely cold, pour custard on apricot layer, smoothen & decorate with cream & reserved nuts. This is an information from the internet: Consumption of apricot kernels must be restricted to two per person, per day.
Dhal-Rice Payasam - my birthday payasam to all of you, friends ! For SBS photos,please go to http://www.indusladies.com/forums/964289-post7.html This payasam is usually made in Tamil Nadu as an offering on festival days. This is made for weddings also – poha & wheat rawa are optional. Rice ( preferably thin variety) - ¼ cup Gram dhal - ¼ cup Moong dhal - ¼ cup Aval ( poha) - ¼ cup Wheat rawa - ¼ cup Jaggery - 2 ½ cups Milk - 1 cup Cardamom powder - 1 tsp Cashew chopped - 2 tbsp Raisins - 2 tbsp Ghee - 4 tsp Roast dry the first 5 ingredients, individually in a dry kadai. Mix , wash & add with 4 cups of water in a pressure pan. Cook for 2 whistles. Cool & open,. Meanwhile mix jaggery with ½ cup of water in a vessel & heat to dissolve on a low fire. Boil for 5 mts. Strain & add to the pressurepan contents. Booil well for 5 mts, add cardamom powder & remove. Add milk, after removing from fire & stir continuously for a few mts. Heat ghee, roast cashews & raisins & add to payasam. Poha & wheat rawa can be omitted & the payasam can be made with rice & dhals only. Adjust the amount of water & jaggery suitably.